Safety ash tray



W. SCHMITT SAFETY ASH TRAY Jan. P7,, 195@ Filed Dec 26, 1947 IN V EN TOR. WILL/4M JCZM/FT Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY ASH TRAY William Schmitt, Reno, Nev.

Application December 26, 1947, Serial No. 794,059

2 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarette ash trays.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ash tray which is so designed as to prevent lighted cigarettes from dropping from the ash tray onto a table or carpet when they are left in a burning condition and wherein when they burn to a certain extent, they will be automatically dropped into the bottom of the ash tray by sliding action and wherein there is no position of the cigarette at any time when being dropped to the bottom of the tray such as to overhang the side of the tray to be upset therefrom.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a cigarette ash tray of the safety type which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, of pleasing appearance and efficient in operation.

For other obfects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the ash tray embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the ash tray.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, in elevation, taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the ash tray.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of the ash tray wherein the tray is of circular shape.

Referring now to the figures, Ill represents a tray or base having feet portions H on which the tray can be supported. This tray has upwardly inclined side wall portions I2 and on these portions there is fitted a top l3. This top has a peripheral flange l4 adapted to extend about the sides l2 of the tray Ill. Extending across the same and from one side to the other is a support l5 having holes or grooves l6 for receiving the cigarette. The cigarette will be rested in the grooves as indicated at H, Fig. 3, and may be allowed to burn until the mouth end of the cigarette will tilt the same from the groove and downwardly so that it may assume a position where the mouth end will be in abutment with a tapered peripheral face l8 about the flange of the top l3. If the cigarette stub has been sufficiently burned, it will automatically drop through hole l9 into the tray l0. At no time is the cigarette located whereby it can drop out of the tray or over the top (3.

The portion I5 is rounded on its top surface sothat the cigarette can slide down both sides andthis surface is sufficiently elevated so that the cigarette can be rested upon it, in the manner as indicated at 2|, with the mouth end in abutment with the tapered face l8. When the cigarette burns down a suiiicient amount, it will automatically drop down into the tray Ill. Through the opening IS the cigarette can be easily grasped for another use and more than the two cigarettes, as represented by the grooves 16, can, in this manner, be located over the top of the tray. The cigarettes can be aligned as shown at 2i on both sides of the tray.

If desired, the cigarettes can be aligned as indicated at 22 in such a manner that the lighted end extends downwardly into the tray. When the cigarette is in this position, it will lie flush with the tapered face l8 of the top and will automatically slide down into the tray as the cigarette burns away. At no time will the cigarette be placed in a position whereby the mouth end can unbalance the same or so that the cigarette can fall over the side edge of the top.

In Fig. 5, there is shown an ash tray which is formed of parts of circular shape. The operation of the ash tray is the same as described above and cigarettes will be placed in the grooves l6 and can be rested on a transverse central support l5.

It will be apparent that the top parts can be easily removed from the tray soas to permit the tray to be emptied of its contents.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of my invention, what is claimed is:

1. A cigarette rest for an ash tray comprising an annular member having a rabbeted bottom adapted to be positioned on the upper edge of an open receptacle, a downwardly inclined inner facing wall surface for receiving an end of a cigarette and a bridge part connecting two opposite portions of the annular member, said bridge part having surface portions substantially normal to the inclined surface of the annular member and disconnectedly spaced therefrom in an upward direction providing an opening therebetween and having one or more recesses therein for the reception of a cigarette whereby a cigarette may rest entirely in a recessed portion or a cigarette may rest in an inclined position with one end abutting the inclined wall surface of the annular member while another portion of the cigarette rests on the inclined surface of the bridge part.

2. A cigarette rest for an ash tray comprising an annular member having a rabbeted bottom adapted to be positioned on the upper edge of an open receptacle, a downwardly inclined inner facing wall surface for receiving an end of a cigarette and a bridge part connecting two opposite portions of the annular member, said bridge part having an inclined side surface disconnectedly spaced from the inclined inner fac ing wall of the annular member and providing an opening therebetween, the inclined facing wall surface lying perpendicular to the inclined surface of the bridge part, whereby a cigarette may rest in an inclined position with one end abutting the inclined wall surface of the annular member while another portion of the cigarette rests on the inclined surface of the bridge part.

WILLIAM SCHMITT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 107,262 Russakov Nov. 30, 1937 D. 143,325 Kantor Dec. 25, 1945 939,909 Grunthal Nov. 9, 1909 1,512,765 Home Oct. 21, 1924 1,691,564 Caldwell Nov. 13, 1928 1,913,452 Locke .l June 13, 1933 1,937,084 Janssen Nov. 28, 1933 1,948,025 Currier, Jr -Feb. 20, 1934 2,352,756 Anholt July 4, 1944 2,397,394 Wheler Mar. 26,, 1946 

